One thing I really like about Pinoy-owned online store WidgetCity is that there doesn't seem to be any new gadget released exclusively in other countries that they can't bring to the Philippines.

Take aluminum-clad Sony Xperia ion, for example --

Set to be launched in the United States via AT&T within this month, Sony Xperia ion is the very first handset from the Japanese company to support true 4G LTE connectivity.

Ain't that a hottie? Thanks to WidgetCity, you don't have to go to the US to get one! Sure, LTE is not yet publicly available in the Philippines but don't you think it's nice to own a phone that already supports it, just to be ready? Or just because it's plain cool?

Most of the internal specs are cool and all but (aside from its sleek Timescape UI) the thing that makes this phone a true stand-out - in my opinion - is its gorgeous, subdued design. In front, you'll see the scratch-resistant touchscreen, minimalist frame and touch-sensitive controls, while at the back, you'll find the stunning brushed aluminum case;

And it also doesn't hurt that the phone is only 10.8 millimeters thin. Talk about svelte!

Just a little more than a millimeter thicker than iPhone 4S! That's a quite a feat, really.

Oh, if only it had a quad-core processor, this handset could have totally given flagship Android phones like Samsung Galaxy S3 and HTC One X a run for the money.

Then again, it's a lot more affordable those two so I'm sure a lot of people will still be looking.

You can now get Sony Xperia ion via WidgetCity for only Php 24,900 - that's almost Php 10,000 less than the SRP of other 2012 top-of-the-line releases. Not bad, don't you think?

NOTE: If you're planning to get the handset from WC, don't forget to print out this page (or at least, the second photo in this post -- the one showing TechPinas homepage on the screen of Xperia ion) and show the copy to them to get a free 8GB microSD card! You can get in touch with WidgetCity via these numbers - 0905-400-0733 (Globe), 0939-905-3500 (Smart), 0922-805-6005 (Sun) -- just look for Martin and tell him you got the info from TechPinas.

And like what we always do here in TP, to wrap this up, I present the complete technical specifications table of Sony Xperia Ion --